


A New World

by BisexualAndNotYourBitch



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Past Rape/Non-con, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-08
Updated: 2019-04-02
Packaged: 2019-11-13 11:41:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18031070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BisexualAndNotYourBitch/pseuds/BisexualAndNotYourBitch
Summary: Shanna Kowalewski has spent her life trying to survive her world until she receives a letter from Hogwarts, at 17. Suddenly she is thrown into a new world of magic and can only try to heal from her past life while balancing both worlds.  Severus Snape, after a lengthy recovery, has returned to a position at Hogwarts as a war hero.Obviously Snape lives!AU but also the Golden Trio's year returns for another go at 7th year and I intend to have an 8th. This is entirely a self-indulgent fic that is mostly here for archival purposes. I will update tags as the work progresses as I am not entirely sure of where it is going. I take a lot of liberties with canon established topics and I will not apologize for it.





	1. First, Ollivanders

**Author's Note:**

> Note: Italic paragraphs are from Snape's point of view

Standing in front of the mirror in my room, I tighten the couple piercings in my ears that I sleep in. I look over my light eye makeup once more and straighten out the shirt I chose for the occasion; plain grey with a modest cut and long sleeves done with black lace. I slip on the combat boots I wear everywhere and lace them up. Ten minutes. Checking the lock on my door, I grab my satchel and slip out the window. 

My feet hit the grass of my backyard and I dust myself off for good measure. I attach the lock I use on my window and slip the key into my bag. Walking around to the front of the house I see a rather large man walking up the front path, glancing around like he’s unsure if he’s in the right place. He spots me and cracks a big grin, “Well hello there. If I’m in the right place, you  should be Miss Kowalewski. I’m Hagrid.”

I smile as I finish crossing the lawn to shake his hand, “It is excellent to meet you. Please, call me Shanna.” I can’t help a bit of surprise at how big the man is, especially when I grasp his hand. Seeming to know how intimidating he is, his smile is bright and sincere-looking. I briefly wonder about the umbrella in his hand; there isn’t any rain in the forecast.

“Follow me.” He says as he leads the way down the street, “I’ll be takin’ ya to Diagon Alley to meet with the headmistress and a professor.” His words come out quickly, almost running together, but he suddenly pauses, “Are those bruises on ya?”

“Oh it’s rather unimportant; they should clear up soon. Normally people ask about the scar.” I brush off the question, trying to push him to a different topic.

“Ah, well,” He rubs the back of his neck and glances forward again before looking back at me, “It seemed rude to bother ya about that.”

“No worries, I assume the school knows about the… incident that left me with.” I follow him, sighing quietly in relief as he leads into the side of town with money. A guy his size could be seen as a threat in my neighborhood, and that wouldn’t end well.

“Headmistress McGonagall mentioned earlier she had reviewed some papers but I don’t know nothin’ about it. She mighta talked with Professor Snape; he’ll be meetin’ with us too.”

“Do you teach Mr. Hagrid?” I ask, looking up at the large man. He laughs, a loud noise but full of sincerity,

“No one uses mister for me. Just call me Hagrid. And I do teach, a class called Care of Magical Creatures.”

“‘Magical creatures’? Like creatures the rest of the world doesn’t know about?” My mind starts to buzz. It finally seems to set in that this is real; magic if fucking real. There could be whole new subjects, new topics, new everything. 

“Ay. Wizards and witches have studied magical creatures just as muggles have their own. Some say that magical creatures are too dangerous, but they just don’t know how to handle them.”

“Will I be able to take you class?” His laugh rings again and he smiles down at me,

“With that attitude, I hope so.”

He leads me down a dead end street in a rich looking neighborhood. As we reach the end of the street my instincts start tingle. I have only read letters about this person and his world. Realizing I have ignored everything I have learned to make it this far, I almost twitch for my knife as he turns into an alley. Alarms ring in my head as I put distance between us, slowing so I am farther behind him.

“This is an entrance to Diagon Alley,” he turns to explain, “They are hidden and you need something magical to open ‘em. It is how we hide from the muggle world.” He turns to the brick wall and raises his umbrella, poking a brick. I suddenly wonder if he’s gone mad. But then the bricks begin moving and I can’t help but step forward towards it. They slide out of place and reveal an opening to a completely different place. He steps through and beckons to me. 

Cautiously and albeit confused, I step through to a busy alley line with stores. The first thing I notice is the change in fashion of the people around me, all entirely unfazed by our sudden appearance. I look up at the store signs and see things like  _ Apothecary _ and  _ Magical Menagerie _ and  _ Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes _ . 

“Jesus Christ.” I breath out, overwhelmed by the bustling area. How the hell does a person conceal this much? It is like stepping into another dimension.

“Pretty fascinatin’ huh?” Hagrid asks to me and I just nod. I am too busy trying to take everything in to notice the grin on his face, amused by the reaction from a 17 year old. “Well you’ll get plenty time to adjust to it. We’re heading to Ollivanders.”

“What’s ‘Ollivanders’?” I ask as I trail after the large man, not wanting to get lost in such an unfamiliar area. Then again, I could probably spot him from miles away with how he towers above everyone.

“He sells wands. You’ll be gettin’ yours today, but it is also where you’ll be meetin’ with the headmistress. The owner is really friendly with Hogwarts so he’s offered us a place to talk.” I just nod this time, to focused on the book store that has books flying around to properly carry on a conversation. People stare as we pass, first at Hagrid’s size, then at me. I take little notice; when you have a hideous-  _ stop thinking that! _ \- a scar that stretches from your left temple to the right of your jaw, people stare. 

I spot the sign the reads “Ollivanders” and swallow the sudden rush of nerves. This is the first time I’ll meet the headmistress in person and whoever the other teacher is. A part of me still believed this was all some big joke even when I was writing to Headmistress McGonagall with an owl to carry the letters. Pushing down the rush of nerves I remind myself of the importance of first impressions; I won’t show up like a bumbling idiot. Hagrid opens the door for me and I thank him as I walk through.

 

_ “She should be here with Hagrid any minute now.” Minerva says, looking at her watching for the sixth time in the past half hour. So anxious. _

__ _ “You saw the same papers I did; she might not be able to move quickly after having her knee cap broken.” Honestly reading those papers was almost gruesome. Even with the war just ending, losing lives at the Battle of Hogwarts, almost dying myself, it is difficult to imagine what the girl must have handled. The war being over and Riddle finally dead, Hogwarts will begin again in September after the major rebuilding over summer break. The ‘Golden Trio’, as they have been called, will re-enter their 7th year and be pushed towards the idea of taking an 8th next year. _

__ _ “You are right. I have to say I wish I knew better what had happen. If only we could have got the Muggle police reports and not just the medical records.” _

__ _ “I told you I could’ve acquired them.” I remind her, _

__ _ “I wasn’t going to send you to go about stealing anymore, Severus. One would think you had your fill during the war.” I am about to respond but the bell rings and the door opens. Hagrid holds it open and she thanks him before walking through. The eye is immediately drawn to the scar in memory of some deep cut diagonal across her face. But her skin is clearly bruised along the side of her face. Someone has hit her. Her body language is strong; she holds herself well, her head held high and shoulders back as she enters, her eyes quickly assessing the room around her before focusing on Minerva and smiling in a professional manner.  _

_ “Hello.” She crosses the room to us as she speaks, “You must be Headmistress McGonagall. Shanna Kowalewski.” Minerva and I stand to properly greet her. _

  
  
  


__ When I step in my eyes are drawn to the walls with boxes everywhere. They must have the wands. Fucking wands. I remind myself to focus as I note the two people sitting. Who I assume to be McGonagall is obviously shocked, but so are most people upon seeing me for the first time. The other professor doesn’t react so openly though, seeming far more reserved. I paint my smile on my face and cross the room, “Hello.” They both stand and McGonagall snaps out of her confusion and smiles, “You must be Headmistress McGonagall. Shanna Kowalewski.” 

We shake hands, “Yes it is lovely to meet you in person.” She answers and I turn to the professor. He offers his hand, 

“Professor Snape.” He says plainly. His voice is smooth, must be rehearsed, and there is little reflection of emotion in it.

“Please sit; there is much to discuss.” Mcgonagall says as Hagrid grabs a chair and sits around the table with us. “Though I have written this I want to say again how very sorry we are that we missed you in your first year. I truly do not know how it is even possible. I can only guess that it was from the chaos that has become of the years from the war.” I think immediately of the long letter she wrote me, trying her best to catch me up on the war that they had just suffered. “It will be very difficult for you to remain at pace for your average 7th year student.”

“I understand that. But I am proficient in school and ready to put in the effort to catch up with my peers.” I respond with honesty. I have excelled in school since I was a child and have a knack for memorization in a rather unusual way.

“We hope to be of the best help we can. I no longer teach, though most still call me professor, but you will have Professor Snape regularly.” 

“What do you teach?” I ask, curious, to Professor Snape,

“Potions.”

 

__ _ “Potions.” I respond easily, still analyzing the girl. She isn’t jumpy as most are when meeting with a headmaster, and she is eerily well focused on Minerva considering she claims no knowledge of the wizarding world. Then I see a spark in her eyes at my answer. _

__ _ “Making potions?” She questions, sounding excited instead of confused, _

__ _ “Brewing. One makes crafts, you brew potions.” _

 

__ My lips twitches at the condescending answer, especially when McGonagall sends him a glare that looks like it might actually kill. She is certainly an intimidating woman. “You said you have no background in magic?” She asks, clearly trying to catch my attention so I pull my attention away from the dark-haired man.

“In full honestly, when your letter arrived I initially believed it to be a joke from a friend of mine. Father has never discussed the topic and he does not seemed pleased that I have interest in the wizarding world.”

“He was upset to hear you had been contacted?” Snape asks me, his eyes calculating and I see pieces click. He looks over the bruises on my face,

“I can only assume it’s concern for my safety.” I answer, fighting the gag that comes with pretending the man has ever given a damn about me, “Especially considering you are fresh out of a war, I am sure any parent would have concerns. Have you not been having such problems with other parents?” I ask, focusing on McGonagall because I’m rather certain Snape sees through the deflection.

“Mildly, but with its wards Hogwarts is the safest place for any witch or wizard.” I notice her eyes card over the bruises as well. Fuck. “But there are other topics I want to ensure we cover. I understand you may be hesitant to discuss what happened but I believe it important.”

“I understand,” I answer, grateful for the topic change but not particularly fond of the new topic, “If I may, what do you already know?”

“We were able to see your medical records,” Snape answers and I briefly wonder if it has cataloged every visit, “But we know nothing of the actual event.” I nod in response, stalling a moment as I debate how much I should go over.

 

_ She nods and pauses, though she still doesn’t begin a nervous tick I can spot. It is rather odd that someone so young is self aware enough to suppress their nervous ticks. She tenses her jaw and meets Minerva’s eyes before she starts,  _

_ “It all happened just over a year ago, beginning when I was attacked by three men and ending two weeks later when the police finally found me. These two weeks I spent in the basement of the alpha of the group and, as I’m sure the medical record reflects, I sustained a severe amount of damage. It is nothing less than a miracle that I am still alive, much less that I am as mobile as I am.”  _

_ She has clearly rehearsed these phrases and her jaw tenses again. It seems to be the only nervous tick she has, “Obviously some of my injuries still affect me as much of the damage was irreversible. It can sometimes cause issues in class but overall is well managed. Notably, my right shoulder has serious nerve damage and can begin twitching. At that point all there is to do is wait until it stops. My injured knee will also act up every now and again, but generally I just wear a compression brace and have no problems.” _

_ Her calmness is almost infuriating. She speaks as though she is discussing the weather when talking about a majorly traumatic event. I can see it unerves Minerva as well, to see someone so easily repress their emotions from such a traumatic event. Her eyes glance over to me and the girl’s eyes follow, seeming to assess the both of us. She is looking for something. _

 

I focus on the lines I have practiced for so long but I watch her eyes. Snape reveals rather little, but she looks rather concerned. Could just be the shock I often leave people with. When she glance over at him, as if to ask something without speaking, I follow her eyesight. Snape is clearly trying to read me as I try to read them. I almost scoff  _ Good luck _ . “Are you still on any medications?” He asks me,

“No.” I answer definitively, not mentioning that I have prescriptions I refuse to take.

“You aren’t on anything for pain?” McGonagall asks, looking baffled, and I fight the groan at the question,

“I have an open prescription for pain medication but I do not intend to fill it. I am not fond of opioids and their risk but that is all my doctor wanted to prescribe so,” I shrug, “I do not find them to be necessary.”

“Then why would they be prescribed?” Snape asks me and I meet his eyes. I suddenly feel a buzzing sensation in my skull as I go to answer.

 

_ Though Minerva is sure to scold me for it later, I am going to use Legilimency on her. She is clearly hiding much from us and I have little patience for it. Someone with no understanding of our world shouldn't even notice it. I meet resistance. How the hell is that even possible? Her mind appears blank to me. “I have a higher than average pain tolerance.” She answers and I drop my Legilimens. I don't want to use force.  _

_ “You claim no knowledge of our world but you are proficient in Occlumency? Why are you lying?” I ask her, tired of games by this point in my life. _

_ “Severus, you didn't!” Minerva hisses. _

 

I give him a baffled look. What the fuck is Occlumency? Apparently he did something wrong because McGonagall hisses out a reprimand. “I can understand your suspicion,” I answer, recognizing the delicate situation, “But it might be easier for me to answer that if I knew what Occlumency is.” I drag out the word, trying my best to mimic his pronunciation. He is clearly still convinced I am lying but answers nevertheless, 

“The skill of blocking one from using Legilimency against you.” I almost groan and roll my eyes. At this point he is just being condescending,

“And what is Legim- Legil- Legilimency?” I stutter on the new word and a blush crawls up my neck in embarrassment. So much for not being a bumbling idiot. He draws back lightly before he answers,

“The art of navigating another’s mind and interpreting what one finds correctly.” He answers, his voice slow and silky. It would be calming if it weren’t for the words he’s saying. Something in me cracks at it, 

“Reading minds?” I scoff lightly, a half grin dawning my face, “So were up to mail by owl, levitating books, literal wands, and now reading minds? No, somewhere there has to be a line.” I see Snape begin to say something but McGonagall cuts him off,

“We understand this must be a lot, and I  _ apologize _ ,” She growls and looks towards him, “for Professor Snape.” When she looks back towards me I can tell she is about to ask something, “But it does raise the question. As out of line as that was, Professor Snape is easily one the best Legilimens of our time. You shouldn’t have even noticed.” 

“I don’t think I did.” I pause, looking down before glancing to Snape, “Wait. The buzzing. That’s what caused the buzzing after your question.” I declare, though it rolls off my tongue like a question. He nods,

“But Occlumency should take years of practice. To be able to keep your memories and thoughts repressed enough that I couldn’t easily find them should require an extremely skilled teacher.” 

“Well I might have an idea of why I’m an oddity,” I begin as my thoughts line up, “I have to spend a very large amount of time repressing thought, especially since my incident last year. Even aside from flashbacks and various triggers, I was diagnosed with schizophrenia.” I note the confused look Hagrid dawns, “Do you know what schizophrenia is?” I question, realizing McGonagall seems lost as well, 

“Mental health diagnosis are still rather lacking in the wizarding world.” Snape answers and I nod,

“To be blunt, I hear voices. The one specifically prominent is that of one of the men involved in my incident. Between the voices and the often mundane nature of my triggers, I have to police my mind well or I’d have properly ended up in a straight jacket long ago.” I play off the sentence as nonchalant, fighting the embarrassment I pretend not to have regarding the subject. But Snape seems to find the answer sufficient and relaxes slightly. 

“Do you often struggle with flashbacks?” McGonagall questions,

“I hesitate to say often.” I respond, “But it is something I have learned to deal with relatively well. They become more commonplace when I am not sleeping and sometimes with specific dates, but I handle them myself. I doubt it will become a problem at school.” I try to push focus back towards the school. This is all more than I had hoped to get into,

“Healing should never be alone.” McGonagall responds.

 

_ She is back to a complete calm. I can’t help but wonder what her mind must be like when she has flashbacks. Merlin knows I have never handled my own well, though I doubt she is in as much control as she wants to appear. “Healing should never be alone.” I almost laugh. Having recommended she read up on post-traumatic stress disorders to better help the students as they return last month, I can tell she is clearly parreting something she read. I see the girl almost roll her eyes.  _

_ “Many have said that, but I much more fond of the idea that healing is nuanced and varies. I understand you might be concerned, but do remember I have had a year to figure out how to handle the aftermath. With rather few lapses, I handle things well on my own.” Lapses. Only certain people would use ‘lapses’. _

 

I notice a shift in Snape’s eyes at my words. I trace them again mentally and realize my slip. Lapses. But if he recognizes the connotation, he must have the background for it. I meet his eyes and, even without the buzzing, he seems to know exactly what is going on in my head. “I can respect that you know yourself much better than I would,” McGonagall’s voice snaps me out of the trance his dark eyes caught me in, “So I will let the topic rest, but do know that as your new professors we want to support in any way possible.” Her eyes are sincere but I have too much past experience with teachers to know how much they can bullshit. Since when is a teacher’s concern actually been their students.

“I appreciate that very much.” I lie, my eyes cold but it is the best I can muster. 

 


	2. Dragon Heartstring

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so it is only letting some of my paragraph idents remain so sorry but I don't know how to fix it. Any suggestions are welcome

“Well then I would like to continue,” McGonagall says, “To the Sorting. As I mentioned in my letters, Hogwarts is divided into four houses with a professor to each as the Head of House. Normally, first years are sorted at the Sorting Ceremony on the first night, but since you missed that I would like to have you sorted today. I think it would be a bit embarrassing to go up in front of the school with the first years.” I laugh a little,

“I would agree.” I go over my memory of the letters about the houses. She had mentioned a hat.

“Excellent.” She raises her wand and I watch her swirl it. My eyes dart to movement down an aisle as the hat comes flying through the air and lands softly on the table. I tense at the sudden movement, eyeing the hat wearily. It certainly is old, looking like a stereotypical witches hat but worn and rugged, “This is the Sorting Hat. It will tell us which house you best belong in.” She stands up and I fight the urge to move away as she picks up the hat and walks behind me. I clench my jaw in time with my hand gripping into my thigh. She sets it on my head, and it yawns. The hat fucking yawns.

_ She is clearly startled by the movement as the hat comes to the table. Well, clear to me and likely Minerva, but she is in great control of her response. An untrained eye wouldn’t notice. She remains a calculated level of still as Minerva moves behind her with the hat and places it on her head. She jumps slightly when it yawns and a smile creeps up my face at her reaction. _

 

“Ah so this is our missing girl,” The hat says and I suddenly wonder if I’ve actually gone mad, “No you aren’t insane, child. But you are interesting.” What the fuck? “Well you certainly are bright, and bravery seems in your blood. Certainly a fight-before-flight girl, hm?” It chuckles at the comment and I suddenly wonder if I should be offended. Can one be offended by a hat?

It speaks like it is speaking with itself and I feel it moving slightly as it does so, “But no, you are so resourceful, cunning, and always somehow surviving no matter your wishes. You are a SLYTHERIN!” It suddenly yells loudly before McGonagall removes it and I breathe a sigh of relief. As McGonagall sits down, sending the hat away with another identical swish of her wand, Snape speaks up, 

“That would make me your Head of House. Welcome Miss Kowalewski.” I force myself to smile, “I am sure that Slytherin doesn’t mean much to you yet, but people often come to as they better identify with their house. We highly value leadership, ambition, and cunning.” I nod, starting to see why I was placed there. Lord knows I have ambition. “This means you will be joining the Slytherin dorms and common room in the dungeon. All the dorms are password protected and they change rather unexpectedly, so be sure to keep up or you will end up locked out.” I focus on committing the words to memory when the bell to signal the door opening causes me to turn in my seat. An older man steps through the door with a smile, turning as he closes it behind him.

“Always the best of timing Garrick; I was just about to explain wands.” He turns back to face us and he looks at me, jumping lightly as he sees me, or more specifically my scar. “But as you are the expert, I would love for you to help Miss Kowalewski.” He swallows and shakes off his startled expression, putting a clearly fake smile on his face. I try to make mine genuine-looking as I stand and offer my hand,

“Shanna Kowalewski, sir.” I say, taking in his features. He is certainly older than the two professors, his hair long and white.

“Garrick Ollivander. I was told that you are only now learning of the wizarding world?” I nod in confirmation after shaking his hand.

 

_ The doorbell rings and Ollivander enters. I watch him as he jumps upon looking at the girl and I narrow my eyes at him. The rudeness. She clearly notices but smiles anyway, using ‘sir’ as she addresses him. I wonder if she is already accustomed to people with so little manners. _

 

“How peculiar.” He hums turning and walking towards the desk off to our left, “What do you know of wand materials?” 

“Not a thing, sir.” I answer, following him to stand on the other side of his desk. He grabs a large book from the shelf behind his desk. It seems to have wand boxes on one side and a few increasingly thick books on the other. He turns, sets down the book, and walks off into an aisle. The book randomly flips pages as it spins to face me. I tense but can’t deny the excitement. Fucking magic. The pages stop and I look curiously at it as I hear Ollivander yell from somewhere,

“That is what you would find in a textbook about cores and woods for wands, with a few extra notes of course,” His explanation echoes as I quickly read the page, baffled as it describes personalities of wood, “Wands are often very prickly about who they chose, some more temperamental than others.” His voice sounds closer,

“Objects are not normally animate.” I comment quietly, reading the page of woods again. They list out traits of the wands created with the woods and the personalities they are attracted to. I hear a snicker in response and turn to see Snape poorly hiding his laugh. I poorly hide my eyeroll as I return to the book.

 

_ Ollivander has always been rather eccentric, yelling explanation across his store as he walks the aisle, gathering up different wands. The girl looks enthralled by the book moving and immediately begins reading when it stops. “Objects are not normally animate.” She mumbles to herself. Minerva conceals her chuckle well but I cannot help but laugh some. She must have heard me because she turns and I look away, though the smile lingers. I see her roll her eyes at me before turning back to the book. Already disrespectful. Minerva laughs again, this time at me, and I shoot her a glare. _

“Cores will also have their own personality that will affect the wand and the user it choses. The length of a wand will vary with their owners, not just based on the users height but on more than that. For example, I have always found longer wands prefer very dramatic magic while neater wands will draw towards someone with an affinity for elegant casting.” He comes around the corner of a row and walks towards me with a dozen boxes floating behind him. “Wand flexibility also varies, often with the owners personality around willingness of change.” The boxes come to stop on his desk and he picks up the book, scanning the page for something before putting it back on the shelf with a thud.

“Now,” He turns back suddenly, “Shall we try some wands?” I nod, focusing on a calm outwards appearance. I want to jump at every movement, back up when something gets close, but I refuse to appear like a scared child. “It isn’t always easy to determine a wand, but when you hold the right one, you will know.” This may be real, but I am rather certain he is also insane. Nevertheless, when he asks for my house I tell him Slytherin and pick up the wand offered to me. The wood is intricately carved in a spiralling pattern and I feel the texture with my fingertips before picking it up. I don’t feel anything different. “Try another.” He offers me another, and then two more.

“Hm, let’s narrow this down a bit more.” He says as he looks at the wands still on the desk, “You’re a Slytherin. How resilient would you say you are?”

“Considerably.” I answer, trying not to roll my eyes,

“Willingness to change?”

“I can be stubborn.”

“Have you ever fought? Physically, I mean.” I give him a puzzled look. Why on earth would he ask that? But, if it helps push this along,

“I have.” I answer shortly not intending to go any further.

 

_ “Have you ever fought? Physically, I mean.” How can that be a necessary question to ask a someone of that age? She is barely an adult and managed to avoid the wars somehow, _

__ _ “I have.” Minerva looks over at me. Well that is an interesting response. That would explain the bruising on her face, but leaves the question of who she’s fighting with. _

__

“And your attitude towards your schooling?”

“I enjoy studying and reading.” He hums at my response and looks through the boxes again before gasping,

“Aha, I am confident in this one for you.” He offers me a wand with distinct vine-like carvings along the handle that tapers out towards the end. I lift it into my hand and feel almost a jolt, jumping slightly when the end sparks. Ollivander clasps his hands together, “Perfect! Your wand has found you.” He waves his wand and the boxes float back towards the isles but I am still marveling at the wand. An actual, legitimate wand. “Please, allow me to take down some notes on it.” He holds out his hand. On instinct, I twirl the wand between my finger and place the handle in his hand. He gives me a confused look but takes it and begins writing,

“Well that is a bit interesting.” Snape comments and I look over, his eyes calculating, “The only time I’ve seen that done is in experienced wand users. Generally to show off.” He says it lightly, but I roll my eyes at the hidden accusation,

“Oddly enough, other objects can be handed to people like that, sir.” I answer and he glares at me,

“That was well trained and practiced. Do tell what object you are so often handing off in such a matter.”

“Pencils, sir.” I answer coldly before looking back to see Ollivanders notes on the wand.

 

_ I am about to reprimand her when Minerva’s look stops me. She wordlessly cast mufflacio but still whispers, “You need to stop, Severus, or I will send you home to see you again in September.” _

__ _ “Miss Kowalewski is clearly hiding something. Even if it is not knowledge of the wizarding world, it is something.” I respond, watching the girl look over what Ollivander is writing. _

__ _ “Perhaps. But might I remind you the war is over,” I turn my head to glare at her implication, “Severus you are being paranoid. She is barely an adult, being thrown into a world she doesn’t know with people she is clearly unsure are being honest. It is understandable that she is being reserved. You cannot pretend you would behave differently.” I scoff at her, turning away. _

 

I vaguely note the way McGonagall turns towards Snape to whisper, but I’m far more interested in reading Ollivander’s notes. He starts explaining when he notices my interest, “Your wand is just 10 inches long with little flexibility. The wood is holly, a commonly protective wood that will help those that need to overcome their tendency to anger.” He glances up at me with a smirk and I am suddenly annoyed by how much he is able to reveal with a stick, “It’s core is dragon heartstring, a very powerful core that will bond well with its owner, but can be prone to accidents as it is tempermental. You should treat her well and with respect as you would an animal, and she will bond to you in the same manner.”

I nod as he places the wand back in the box and hands it to me. “Thank you very much, Mr. Ollivander. How much do I owe you?” I ask as I retrieve my wallet from the satchel still over my shoulder. I pause for a second and, before he can answer, I ask, “Wait does the wizarding world use the same money?” Hagrid chuckles pleasantly and Ollivander smiles,

“No, but I can exchange your money for you. I got licensed to do exchanges since this is often the first stop for new wizards and witches. I hand him over the money I brought and he return behind the desk, “All wands here are 7 galleons.”

“That is about 20 pounds.” Snape interjects. He seems to be the only person able to easily translate the two worlds,

“Why are you better versed in Muggle topics?” I try out the new word, silently praying I am using it right,

“I, like many of the first years you will meet, came to Hogwarts from the Muggle world. While I knew of magic, many don’t learn until they are eleven.” Ollivander returns to me with a small leather pouch.

“Most of us carry our money in this manner and I have plenty lying around.” I smile as I take the pouch from it, feeling the weight of it. As curious as I am to open it and inspect the foreign money, I instead look back to him,

“Thank you very much, Mr. Ollivander. This has been very helpful.” I thank him with sincerity, grateful for how much he has informed me on.

“You’re very welcome. I will be working in back but the store will remain closed for as long as you need.” He looks over to McGonagall who nods in response, “Call if I can be of any more assistance.” I see him eye my scar once more before he turns, walking through a doorway behind his desk.


End file.
